Nauko Uzumaki
by ClearwaterInnocence
Summary: I was five years old when my entire family died. I left home in the dead of night and everyone thought I was dead. But that was before granny realized I was alive and now I'm being tracked down in Sand where I had a new life with my adopted brother Gaara. But now twelve years after everything changed I'm being told my younger brother is actually alive and waiting for me...in Konoha
1. Naruko Uzumaki

Naruko Uzumaki:

Hi, my name is Naruko Uzumaki-Namikaze and I am five years old. I'm a little girl with big dreams. My dreams involve me becoming the greatest ninja in the world. I don't want to be hokage, but I do want to be strong enough to protect my loved ones, although daddy says I'm too little. I'm just starting my kunai lessons with plastic kunai's. I won't be entered into the academy until I'm seven.

Oh, wait, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about or who I actually am. Let me start over.

Like I told you, I'm Naruko Uzumaki-Namikaze and I'm five years old. I'm shorter but I'm just small for my age since mommy almost died when I was born earlier than I was supposed to be. My parents are great ninjas, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. My mommy had long red hair that's so pretty and big violet colored eyes. My daddy had messy blonde hair that bangs hang on either side of his face and narrowed but kind blue eyes.

I look like my mommy in every way feature wise. I had soft features with tan smooth skin. But I got my daddy's coloring. My hair was bright blonde that mommy put into two pigtails that I really like. My eyes were big, my mommy's shape but the blue of my daddy's eyes.

I live in a ninja village and the hokage is the leader of the village. My daddy is currently the youngest hokage Konoha, my village, has ever had. I'm going to be a ninja someday, I can't wait until I enter the academy.

Right now?

I'm being escorted out of the village for our own protection. Mommy is screaming because she's in pain, but she's not letting go of my hand. She refuses to let me out of her sight. In my other hand, I'm holding tightly onto a white daisy.

I bought it from the Yamanka flower shop after spending the day playing with the few months old Ino. Mommy was having a baby which was why she was in so much pain. The last few months, her belly swelled until I could no longer sit on her lap.

I don't even know if I'm having a baby brother or sister.

What I did know was I was planning on being the best big sissy in the world and I couldn't wait. I promised my baby sibling through my mommy's stomach that I would always protect them…forever.

I didn't realize at that time that I would be unable to fulfil my promise for many years.

But what did I really know? I was only five. My only thoughts were when my sibling would be big enough for me to start teaching them. I would help them crawl and then walk, I'll teach him all the best pranking spots, how to be a good friend despite how I had none myself my age. Everyone I played with was babies barely older than my sibling. I couldn't wait until I could throw a kunai by the time they could so I could teach them like daddy taught me. I was so excited, moreso then most big siblings. I didn't care if mommy and daddy's time was split, as long as my baby sibling was alright.

Mommy and me were led by trusted medical nins into a large cave that had been prepared. "It's okay baby, everything's alright," even when clearly in pain, mommy still tried to make sure I was alright. Even while she was screaming, trying to give life to the baby I swore I would always love and protect.

"You almost have it, one more push!" the medical guy shouted. Mommy screamed, clutching at the white blanket beneath her. Then another cry sounded, the cry of my baby.

I'm not sure what happened next, I had trouble comprehending. All I knew was the medical ninja was dead, there was an evil feeling in the air that made me feel like suffocating before it disappeared thanks to my daddy and now my sibling had some kind of mark on his stomach. I'm really scared because he's not moving. I'm even more scared because mommy threw herself in front of me and the scaringly quiet blonde baby clutched in my arms. She tried to protect us from the evil man in the orange mask that showed up.

"Mommy, mommy!" I screamed, I knew blood wasn't supposed to fall from your mouth and she looked really ill, like she was…dying.

"Naruko, my little Naru-chan, listen to me," mommy was crying as she spent her last words on me and my baby sibling. I wasn't able to comprehend what was happening but I knew it couldn't be good. "You're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering,"

"Mommy, what's happening?" I whispered in a whimper.

"I need you to remember who you are, you are Naruko Uzumaki and I know this is too much to place on a child but I need you to protect this child. I need you, both of you, to find a girl…a dream, and don't stop trying until it come's true. There's so much I haven't been able to teach you let…I want to stay."

"Then stay, mommy!" I begged, I knew nothing good would come out of this night.

"Naru," she smiled sadly. "I want you to be a strong knouichi, I'm sorry I won't be there to watch you grow, to see you raise through the…the ninja ranks. Especially…find friends, and someone you can love who'll love you only. Have a life, have children someday, and grow life to the fullest with your brother at your side."

Brother…I had a brother, Naruto. That was the name mommy and daddy was going to give him. That was the name he would have.

"I love you both," she whispered, falling over.

"Mommy? MOMMY!" I screamed. I don't know how long I kept screaming, my quiet brother in my arms, crying over her body. I didn't notice when someone picked me up and set me on my feet but I did notice when someone took my brother from me. I screamed as I was pulled away, trying to fight to get to my brother who was being carried away.

"Naruko, your brother is dead," a man vaguely familiar with multiple bandages covering his body.

"No…no, you're lying!" I shouted as he forcefully yanked my struggling body into the woods. But what could I do, I was only five and I couldn't barely throw a kunai. He kept carrying me deeper and deeper into the woods before uncaringly dropping me onto the ground.

"Listen, you are no longer Naruko Uzumaki," he said cruelly. My vision was blurry with the tears running down my cheeks, "You're entire family is dead, your life here is nothing more. It's time you leave Konoha and never come back. Never tell anyone you're birth name. I don't care where you go after this but you are never to return to Konoha. You have nothing here so just leave and never come back.

"You are no longer Naruko Uzumaki," those words echoed in my head and with a heavy heart and a wail, I launched myself deeper into the forest. I was completely unaware of the lie I was just told, the man smirking as he now had hope for a new weapon of Konoha. He would only grow soft if he had an older sister watching over him, that wouldn't do.

Nobody would ever know.

"Are you sure there was nothing," the third hokage questioned, carrying the now crying baby boy in his arms weeks later.

"No, hokage-sama, nothing was found." an ANBU with a dog mask said, his heart heavy. The mission of this particular ANBU had been very important.

"Then…we have no choice," the third hokage bowed his head. He looked down at the paperwork in front of him. The picture held a smiling blonde five year old girl, very similar to the baby boy in his arms. With a heavy heart, he slowly wrote DEAD across the paper. And in the Cause line: he wrote KYUBBI ATTACK.

The baby in his arms started to wail louder as the hokage sat him in his crib. The baby was truly alone now. There had been no body of the little girl's found but it had been weeks, she surely would have died by now.

Maybe…maybe with Naruto was older, he would tell the young boy about the older sister he had who had a dream, a dream to protect him. It was a dream she gave her life for, an innocent little girl who's one goal came before all others, to protect this little baby.

If only he knew that a little girl wasn't dead.

Miles and miles away from Konoha, a dirty little girl with long blonde hair no longer in it's pigtails but hanging around her face caked in dirt. She was currently going through the ruins of her mommy's home country. She had lived in the forest for weeks before finding herself at the country where all the Uzumaki's had once roamed, before it had been destroyed years before she was born. She was sad her country was no longer around, but if it hadn't, her mommy probably would have never met daddy.

She shook those thoughts from her head. She had no mommy or daddy, Naruko Uzumaki did but Noora Lin's parents had died at birth. She was an orphan either way, and grew up alone living in the forest.

With a large camping like bag she swiped from a town nearby, she packed it fully with what she found in the wreckage. Although 'Noora's' parents were dead, she was still going to honor Kushina Uzumaki's wishes. She was going to be the best Kunoichi she could become and learning her family seal jutsu's was the first big step.

After getting what she could savage from digging through the wreckage, she left.

Years past and with each day she grew, burying her past so far back into her mind that she never thought about it expect for in her dreams where she couldn't escape. She went from village to village and traveled all over the world, learning everything she could to become the strongest kunoichi she could. She still never found anyone to love like her birth mother wanted.

Her past was too scarred for a young child to truly open her heart towards anyone. Besides, she was still far too young to worry about boys, even if girls her current age were starting to obsess about love and boys.

She was only twelve after all. Naruko, now known as Noora to those she came across, had grown up all alone. She never stayed anywhere for too long, never more than a few weeks at a time. The one place that she never breeched was Konoha land. 'Noora' had grown into quiet a beautiful young girl although she never noticed, still innocent when it came to matters of the heart. Not that many people actually saw her for her heart, no, they saw her beauty and innocence in the heart.

Naruko had grown taller since she was five but still smaller for her age, making her look closer to ten instead of twelve. Her skin was tanned since she rarely spent time inside, usually camping at the park or in a forest if she could find one in a town. Her hair had grown as long as her mother's had been but was still pure blonde, lightened from her constant time in the sun. She had her hair pulled into a single ponytail so the end reached her waist. Bang covered her forehead and longer pieces framed her faces. Her eyes were still wide and bright blue, only now covered in loneliness instead of childlike joy she once had.

She was currently sitting on a swing in the village of sound. Her camping stuff was set up beside her, just a simple tent. She had gathered a lot of stuff over the years so she had multiple sealing scrolls that held everything. She wore the native clothing she got from helping out at a store today. So she had on a knee length red skirt and long sleeved loose shirt and ninja sandals.

Now that she was older, she had realized what had happened to her…Naruko's, brother. He had been made a demon container due to her mother to the Kyuubi she carried. He had obviously died from far too much power for his infant body despite the fact that only Uzumaki's had enough charkra to pull off becoming the container to a demon as powerful as the nine tails.

"Wait!" she looked up with bored casually. In front of her was a group of children. A large group was running with terrified looks away from a little red haired boy about seven or so. He lifted his hand, begging for them to come back, dropping the ball he held as it rolled over towards her. She had witnessed him getting the ball down for the kids but had never thought of anything until now. The kid helped and all the others ran like they were terrified…like he was a monster.

She slowly lifted her foot to stop the ball from rolling past her.

At that moment, the boy had sand to his command that grabbed one of the kids by their ankle and yanked her down, she screamed terrified, shaking as she held her hands over her head. The other kids kept running, just glad it wasn't them.

The boy looked scared as she slowly picked up the ball.

The sand started to tighten around her ankle as I walked up behind the boy.

And then I did something I had only done once before. That time had been a couple years ago when she stopped a little boy named Inari in the country of waves from drowning. She had left a few weeks later when a man that had helped her became the boy's adopted father.

What did she do?

She put a hand on the boy's shoulder, ignoring the sand that had come up to protect him as she smiled kindly down at the red haired little boy who looked up stunned. It was like he'd never seen a kind look before.

She had no way of knowing a little blonde boy miles away was going through the same pain as the red haired.

"Hey, you wanna play with me?" Naruko's voice cracked, not use to talking to others, holding up the ball. His eyes slowly widened as the same dropped the girl's ankle, she quickly ran off panicked and screaming.

"You wanna play with me?" the boy sounded surprised. She was as well, she usually spent all her time training or doing odd jobs for money.

"Sure, why not?" I smiled gently, tossing him the ball. We spent hours at that park until the sun was going down, kicking the ball back and forth while laughing the entire time. The boy's face, Gaara as he told me, was so happy. It was clear he'd never had so much fun. And I hadn't had fun, pretty much the entire time he's been alive since he was born shortly after…Naruko's, brother.

But then it started to get dark and I've seen that it wasn't a good idea for children to be alone on the outside. At least I had grown stronger overtime so I could now protect myself, "I'll see you tomorrow, alright Gar?" I ruffled his hair. This time, the sand didn't come up to protect him. It seemed like he subconsciously, at least, realized he could trust me. After all, who would play with him all day with the intent to hurt him?

I spent the next few hours training in the dead of night while no one was about. I had become an expert in sealing scrolls, with a steady hand. I saw a glimpse of my blonde hair as I passed a store after my long hours of training. It was time to sleep after all the hard work I've done. I wasn't interested in becoming a kunoichi of anyone's but Konoha. Call it loyalty or whatever but she felt like she would betray konoha should she fight for another country, even if she would never go back to konoha. So she kept her shinobi skills hidden when in one of the five ninja countries like this one. She had picked up countless ninja skills over the years.

Back to the blonde hair she glimpsed at in the window. The blonde hair made her remember what had happened last year when she was passing through a large town.

_What to do? What to do? Eleven year old me wondered as she walked through the large town. It wasn't a ninja village, just a large town filled mostly with stores and fishermen. There wasn't much of anything to do though. I was too busy being depressed as I watched kids run from booth to booth of different things for some kind of festival. My heart went out when I saw a little girl a few years younger than me handing over half her popsicle to a little boy that was clearly her brother._

_ I would never be able to do that._

_ I turned to walk away, I didn't need to fantasize over what would never be. However, I didn't get far since I ran into someone. "Ugh, watch it lady," I scowled, rubbing my forehead where I had hit against her stomach, just over her large oversized breasts._

_ "Maybe you should watch where you're going, kid, you ran into me." the lady scowled. I pouted and looked up glaring, so much for being a great kunoichi considering I hadn't even realized the lady was walking right behind me._

_ The lady's eyes slowly widened and her jaw dropped when she caught a sight of me. Blonde hair and blue eyes wasn't common around here so it wasn't surprising. Most people were dark haired and common brown eyes. What was surprising was my reaction, my gasp of horror, shock, and yet familiarity towards the older woman._

_ She wore high heels, blue pants, and a green jacket. Her hands rested on her hips, her breasts overlarged although I knew she was much older than she looked due to some kind of jutsu she created. Her light blonde hair similar to my own was in two pigtails that hung over her shoulders and her almond shaped caramel colored eyes gazed down at me. I could see tears brimming._

_ "Nar…Naruko?" she stuttered._

_ I was in so much shock, this was the first time I've come across someone who came from Konoha since I was five. Not only that, but she was clearly recognizable to me who once looked up to her. Out of everyone, it was the one with the most connection to her that was still alive. Someone who had been on the way to Konoha for Naruto's birth but hadn't arrived by the time Kyuubi attacked. "Gran…Granny Tsunade." I whispered, loud enough for her to hear, feeling myself start to shake in shock. So much for my strong kounichi act, especially if I broke apart like this from one familiar face._

_ Granny Tsunade was my actual grandma, my blood grandma. She had got drunk, which wasn't surprising since she always drinking, one night when she was young nearly forty years ago or so and bedded my grandfather Jiyaya. Both of them often visited but didn't live in Konoha. It was only one time but granny ended up pregnant with my dad. Fearing she wouldn't be a good mother, she left him at Konoha orphanage without telling anyone. She told Jiyaya when dad was eighteen and they finally went to see him. It took time but they became family, welcoming mom when her and dad married in secret as their witnesses. Then I was born and they became grandparents, often visiting while bringing gifts. My hair may be like dad's but was more lighter like granny, even if I now kept it in a ponytail instead of pigtails. I couldn't bear to wear them anymore considering mom had always been the one to tie them every morning._

_ "But…you're supposed to be dead," granny whispered in shock. I took a shaking step backwards, unaware and confused of what she should do. "Naruko," Granny had arrived in Konoha and although her grandson was alive, she refused to touch with Konoha after realizing her granddaughter was dead. She planned on coming back briefly when Naruto was eighteen but that was before her granddaughter was discovered alive, clearly recognizable after seven years._

_ It was the first time in seven years she'd heard that name out loud and it shocked her to the core. She quickly shook her head, she refused to go back to Konoha. "No, I don't know you." She recited firmly. "My name is Noora, this Naruko's family is dead so she doesn't exist." Granny looked shocked._

_ I tensed as a pig, TonTon, started sniffing me and squealing, trying to crawl up my leg. It was something he'd only ever done to me as a child, "Lady Tsunade, Lady Tsunade!" another woman called, racing over. Aunty Sizune. Sizune wasn't my real aunt but I had called her that. Wearing her usual black heels and dress, her dark hair falling to her shoulders, freezing when she caught sight of me. "Naruko?" she gasped, eyes wide in shock._

_ "No…no! My name is Noora, Naruko is dead!" I wailed and without a thought, I ran and disappeared into the crowd, trying to run from my past. But…I guess what they say was true, the past always catches up to you._

_ It would just take a few more years._

_ I didn't realize that after Tsunade and Sizune lost sight of me due to the overcrowding, they were contacting Jiyaya and finding him a few weeks later in another town. Together, the three sent a letter to the hokage and there begin the secret search for a young girl who kept moving._

_ Then I made the mistake of staying in the sand a year later where my past would eventually catch up to me. But I couldn't bare to leave a little boy in so much pain, obviously needing some kind of love. And since his own sister wasn't doing the job, I took it up to myself._

"Leave her alone," a familiar dark voice said, sand breaking the wrists of a teenage boy trying to touch my ass.

"You really shouldn't do that, Gaara," I said casually, not looking up as the teen ran crying. Ridiculous, like I would go with someone like that. Gaara had become protective of me, overly protective the last three years since guys really started to hit on me. He had realized I had become a young woman and that meant guys who weren't worthy of my time to Gaara wanting me.

I folded the clothes at the clothing store I worked at as Gaara appeared beside me.

It had been five years since I first arrived in the sand, only I never left this time like I usually would in another village. I was now seventeen years old and had grown from a pretty girl to a beautiful young lady, not that I ever bothered to notice. I was more interested in making sure Gaara didn't go completely insane by mentally adopting him as my younger brother. I wore ninja sandals and told everyone that they were comfortable. Only Gaara knew that I had ninja skills since I kept them well hidden. I could even hide my high charkra signature so nobody would detect me. According to anyone, I was just an ordinary civilian woman from a distant land that moved here, nobody knew I was from Konoha. That was my best kept secret, not even Gaara knew. I wore a white skirt that fell to my knees but rose up just past my knee on one side. A loose long sleeve red shirt that showed my stomach covered my chest. Around my neck was a necklace that I always kept with me. Mom…Naruko's mother had given it to me…her, when she had been born. It was on a simple silver chain but was practically indestructible, with a red swirl symbol hanging off. To everyone else, it was just an accessory, but to me, it was the symbol of a clan with only one member left…me. Silver bracelets decorated each of my wrists, secretly holding needles and poison/antidotes. My blonde hair was still long and light blonde hair in a ponytail to keep off my neck in the heat of the desert. My eyes were still wide and blue, but not as lonely as I was as a child, but still somewhat sad that I've learned to hide well. My body was now a woman's, my hips having widened, curves gained, and chest growing into large breasts. Not as large as Tsunade's but, you get the point.

"Well he shouldn't touch you," Gaara stated. He hadn't killed in a while but he still broke hands or legs often enough. Gaara had grown as well. He reached my shoulder in height. His hair was still blood red and his eyes were teal, black shadows cornering them. He couldn't sleep, practically impossible for the boy. I often found him waiting for me outside the apartment I bought after a year of being here. He stopped waiting for me inside when I nearly took his head off since I didn't realize it was him the first time. Luckily he had that protective sand or else he'd be beheaded. That was also when he learned I was a ninja, well, not officially but I did have the skills.

"I understand, Gaara," I giggled. It was funny how overprotective the twelve year old could be. He had recently graduated from the academy although it was clear he would have been able too much earlier. But the people of sand had grown fearful of him, resulting in multiple assassination attempts. When it was clear I wasn't going to leave the little boy alone, they started on me. I protective myself but used a memory jutsu I learned so they would forget my ninja skills, virtually undetectable. Only a Yamanaka with their mind jutsu would probably be able to realize it was there, and then came the whole breaking the seal part.

Gaara became like the little brother I would never get so I was just as protective of him. He overreacted over boys going after me. I usually resulted in causing pranks for those that glared at him, tried to kill him, or called him a monster. I was so good, that nobody even realized it was me since I could hide and erase my tracks.

Neither of us realized as Gaara's sand lifted up a table so I could sweep under it, that something would change my life when I got home that afternoon.


	2. Time to go Back Home

Time to go Back Home:

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, Gaara." I waved. Gaara and me had spent the time outside the village training like we usually did, playfully sparring. I've learned that speed was a good combat against his sand so during the past five years, I've had weights put in to make me faster. I inherited my father's…Naruko's fathers, speed. I also had some weights, heavy weights, installed into my bracelets and in the sweatbands on my ankles.

"I'll be back, tomorrow morning," Gaara said in our usual farewell. I opened my apartment and went inside. I narrowed my eyes, something wasn't right. The picture I tricked Gaara into taking of him and me last year was crooked on the table next to the door. How do you trick Gaara? Very difficultly. It was as if someone had picked it up to look at it before placing it down in a hurry.

That someone wasn't me.

"Who's here?" I demanded, poising my fingers so I was ready to shoot poisonous darts at the intruder.

"Hey, kid! Look who's back!" A loud make voice shouted. I shrieked surprised and let my needles go. The rest of Grandpa Jiraya's overexcited speech was cut off by my needles paralyzing him.

…Oops.

Five years ago was a turning point in Jiraya's life. _"Jiraya!" Tsunade yelled five years ago when she found him peeking into a hot spring where a group of women were squealing and splashing water at each other in their bikini like swimsuits. The next second, Jiraya found a very familiar fist bash into his head, sending him flying easily into the truth, knocking a few over._

_ "Tsunade! What are you doing here?!" Jiraya exclaimed, ignoring the pulsing rapidly growing bump and bruise on his head. Jiraya and Tsunade last saw each other on Naruko's fifth birthday when Kushina was five months pregnant. After the death of three out of four of the family, they went their separate ways and haven't seen the other since. Jiraya's been splitting his time between spying for the leaf and researching for his newest book, Make Out Paradise._

_ "Sir Jiraya, there is pressing matters that are needed to be dealt with." Sizune said, clutching TonTon to the center of her breasts. Jiraya was caught by surprise by the serious looks both women bore and if he wasn't mistaken…were those tears brimming in the corner of Tsunade's eyes?_

_ A few minutes later, they were sitting at a booth in a bar but completely ignoring the meal that had been set in front of them. "Well, are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Jiraya asked, rubbing his scalp where Tsunade had healed him after giving him the huge bump._

_ Tsunade took a deep breath and said something that shocked him to the core, "…Naruko is alive,"_

_ Jiraya froze and stared at her, eyes slowly widening as he comprehended what the mother of his dead son said. Was it…was it possible, was his granddaughter alive? He shook his head, "Tsunade, you and I both know that Naruto died during the Kyuubi attack that took Minato and Kushina's lives over twelve years ago."_

_ "Don't patronize me, Jiraya!" Tsunade shouted, ignoring the glances of the nearby people. "I know what I saw!"_

_ Jiraya took a deep shattering breath. He was going to humor her but…when was the last time Tsunade said something this serious that wasn't true? "What did you see, Tsunade?" he questioned, turning completely serious which was a complete change compared to those that really knew him as the pervert that he was._

_ "I saw her," Tsunade insisted and then explained. "A few weeks ago, Sizune and I were in a village a few miles from here. She literally ran straight into me. We got into a fight about who ran into who when I saw her face. It was her Jiraya, I know it. Same blonde hair, blue eyes, her features…only older,"_

_ Jiraya shook his head, "You realize there is more than one girl out there with blonde hair and blue eyes, right?"_

_ "It was her, Jiraya!" Tsunade snarled._

_ "I mean, in Konoha, the Yamanka family alone…"_

_ "She called me Granny Tsunade." She interrupted and Jiraya once again froze. Granny Tsunade…only Naruko had been able to call and get away with calling her that. Only she ever dared…only she would recognize Tsunade as someone she often saw on sight alone._

_ "Tell me what happened." Jiraya said firmly. And so Tsunade did._

_ "She calls herself Noora. She clearly knows who I am and what happened to her family but…for some reason, not only ran away from the village that night all those years ago but believes her family is dead."_

_ "But Naurto is still alive in the village." Jiraya sighed._

_ Tsunade nodded, a finger to her chin deep in thought, "Maybe something more happened that night. Maybe someone told Naruko that her family was dead. Nobody would have known and with Naruko's insistence on never coming back…she never would have discovered the truth."_

_ "So someone there that night deliberately lied to Naruko trying to get her out of the village."Jiraya continued._

_ "But for what reason would that accomplish?" Tsunade sighed. That was the big question._

_ Jiraya sighed, "Naruko promised time and time that she would protect her brother."_

_ "But she also thinks her brother is dead." Tsunade stated._

_ Jiraya nodded, "So it's decided. I'll start going around with Naruko's description and try tracking her down. I'll tell her the truth and she can finally go back to the leaf where she belongs…where her brother is currently residing."_

_ "She hasn't been seen in nearly seven years, I hope it won't be another seven before she's discovered again." Tsunade drowned her drink._

_ "Remember, she's barely eleven, how hard can it be?" Jiraya drowned his own drink. So they sent a letter to the hokage in code to explain what was happening. And so begin their secret search while the hokage watched over Naruto, hoping with all his heart that the friendless and lonely little boy would finally have someone in his life that meant more than an old man who checked on him once a month._

Actually, it only took five years before Jiraya tracked her down. She made the mistake of settling down in a single village. It wasn't difficult to sneak in being that he was Jiraya of the sannin! After that, all it mattered was asking around with Naruko's description before he discovered her apartment building.

He easily managed to pick the lock on the window before heading in where he quickly went through the apartment, trying to find any proof it was her. There were multiple clothing, books on different ninja skills hidden in compartments only someone as skilled as Jiraya would have found if they hadn't known about it. So she was studying to be a ninja, hopefully she had more skill then just theory. Theory could only get you so far. He even found books on sealing, books so basic and becoming increasingly advanced that he knew only a Uzumaki would have that collection.

Finally, he found the proof in a picture he picked up by the door. In it was a red haired boy with a surprise look on his face as an older teenage girl jumped on him, winking and sticking her tongue out with her fingers in a peace sign. Her long blonde hair was tied behind her head, her eyes so similar, a perfect blend of Kushina's shape and Minato's color…so similar on the looks of Naruto that he managed to get a glimpse of throughout the years. His eyes flashed down to the necklace he knew Kushina always wore under her shirt, until she passed it down to her daughter on the day of her birth.

There was no doubt now…this was Naruko Uzumaki-Namikaze, back from the dead, eh…sort of.

It was when he heard the door being unlocked that he head until he saw the same girl from the picture walked in, smiling as she shut the door behind her. Naruko. She stopped, narrowing her eyes down at the picture. Only then did he realize it was slightly out of place. She must have a sharp eye to notice.

"Who's there?" she demanded, raising her small fists but shifting automatically into a fighter's stance.

"Hey kid, guess who's back!" Jiraya couldn't contain his excitement at finally finding her anymore. The response was getting stuck with poisonous needles from a bracelet she wore with a flick of her wrist. At least he knew she was a ninja.

"What do you expect when you break into someone's house, Jiraya!" I snarled, uncaring if I hurt him some as I pulled the paralyzation darts out of his chest.

"I didn't break in!" Jiraya protested after one was removed from his check.

"You were in here without my permission, and I know I keep the doors and windows locked always. I know you broke in!" I scowled, wondering if I should just stick another one in his cheek to shut him up and leave him there with the intent to drop him off in the dessert when everyone was asleep. But I bit back the urge and kept removing them from his arms.

"Well kid, it's good to know you're alive." Jiraya continued happily. He couldn't help it, the granddaughter he'd thought was dead was still alive and breathing right in front of him.

"Ok, spill it, how did you know where to find me?" I questioned, heading into the kitchen. "And I'm not exactly a kid anymore."

Jiraya followed me, "Definitely not, you've grown up from that little five year old girl."

"…She's not me anymore," I muttered, leaning against the counter and crossing my arms.

"Of course she is! You're only older now,"

"Cut the crap, how did you know where I was?" I repeated firmly.

"Tsunade, she told me she saw you and we've spent five years searching. I only figured out where you were this week because you've finally stayed in place long enough."

Naruko sighed, wondering if she should have left all those years ago. But thinking of what Gaara may have become if she wasn't here, especially after his uncle nearly killed him a few days after they've met…it made her head and heart hurt. "And is there any particular reason you decided it was a good idea to track me down."

"Naruko," she looked up surprised by the serious look he was given her. Her entire life, she'd never seen him look that serious. Once she saw him terrified because mom caught him reading her one of his perverted novels for a bedtime story. She didn't even know what was going on, or at least didn't understand it back then. "Why did you leave the village over twelve years ago?"

Naruko took a deep breath as all the thoughts she tried to forget flood back: rushing into the cave, mom trying to calm her down as she screamed, the cry of a baby, the evil charkra, the man that took her brother from her arms, and being dragged into the forest. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked quietly. "I had no one left, my family was dead…"

"Who told you that?" Jiraya demanded.

Naruko slowly looked up, eyes narrowing, "I don't know. Someone from the village took…took my brother from me and dragged me into the forest. He told me he was dead and that I should just leave. That night…that night, Naruko Uzumaki died. I hadn't heard that name since…since Tsunade saw me and I wanted to keep it that way."

Jiraya sighed as he started to piece the pictures together. Someone had taken Naruko from the village and left her there in the forest. If her family was thought dead and if the village thought she was dead…the only question was why. It wasn't hard to decide that it had to do something with Naruto and the Kyuubi…the whole village wanted Naruto miserable. What would be more miserable then making both siblings think the other was dead, heck Naruto didn't even know he had a sister. The hokage wanted to wait until he was at least chunin before explaining about the sister who died during the Kyuubi attack. But looks like that plan wouldn't matter anymore, not if she was alive and well this entire time. "Naruko," she looked up at the sound of her birth name. "Your brother Naruto is still alive,"

Naruko's eyes slowly widened, she felt numb, ignoring the sound of shattering glass as she knocked a glass off the counter when her arm jerked. "Wh…what are you talking about?" she demanded harshly.

"Someone tricked us all," Jiraya explained. "Someone told you Naruto had died that night and after searching, you were declared dead as well since no one could find you. Naruto has been living in the hidden leaf village all these years. No one wanted to bring up bad memories so he doesn't even know he has a sister."

My legs started to shake, I felt weak as I slumped on the floor leaning against the counter. The image of that blonde haired baby I once held in my arms came to mind, the very image I had blocked and refused to think about again. "Naruko…you have to come home,"

"But…but how can I ever face him again," Tears slid down my face, thinking of facing the young boy I had pretty much abandoned.

"Naruko," Jiraya grabbed me by my shoulder, startling me to look up. At least I didn't attack him this time. "Weren't you the girl that swore to protect your brother? How can you protect him from here? That boy needs you, he's starved for affection. Knowing he has a sister would bring more than just happiness to his life. How would he feel years from now if he discovers you're still alive and didn't come after him despite knowing he was alive?"

I slowly nodded as I wiped my tears. I needed Naruto, we were all we had of each other. I looked up with a renewed determination, my brother needed me and I would kill anyone who got in my way. "Jiraya, give me till tomorrow morning. I have to get things together and say my goodbyes."

Jiraya nodded, "Alright."

Naruko left to visit Gaara while Jiraya sent a letter to the hokage, explaining he'd found her and she'd be arriving next week, considering it would take three days to walk there, ninja style.

"Gaara," Naruko hissed, knocking on his window. She was using the wall climbing technique, using her charkra to keep her feet glued to the wall.

"Naruko, what are you doing?" Gaara seemed surprise, letting Naruko climb in after opening the window. She had only done this before a handful of times, each time being on his birthday. So why was she doing this now? He narrowed his eyes, seeing her puffy red eyes, she had obviously just finished crying.

"Gaara, you know you're like my little brother, right?" Naruko started. She had no time for small talk, putting a hand on his shoulder. The sand no longer came to protect him around Naruko unless they were sparring.

"Right," Gaara said confused, narrowing his eyes deeper.

"Well there's something I never told you,"

"Are you in trouble?" Gaara interrupted. He would quite happily kill anyone who caused her trouble. Besides, he hadn't killed anyone in a while.

"What?" Naruko was startled. "No, no, that's not it. When I was five, I thought my family was killed. That's why I've been alone since we've met. I've traveled from place to place until I came here and couldn't leave knowing you were suffering."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Gaara questioned.

"Just now, when I went home, someone was waiting for me…my grandfather."

"I thought you said your family was dead."

Naruko nodded, "Everyone but my gramps and granny but I haven't seen them in years so I just started thinking of them as dead. I ran into my granny a year before I came here and ran off. I didn't want to go back home because I knew it would be too much for me. But gramps told me something…something I never thought possible and given all hope on."

"What?" Gaara questioned.

"…my little brother, he's alive." Naruko placed her hands clasped together on her chest. "I have to go find him. He's alive and he needs me. I swore everyday my mother was pregnant that I would protect him. I lived for twelve years with the guilt of thinking I had failed him. But, now that I know he's alive…"

"You're leaving," Gaara figured.

Naruko slowly nodded, "I'm sorry. I'll be back to visit because although I have a little brother, I still think of you as one. You can't escape me so easily, I'll be back and I'll send letters and everything. I won't forget you and everything we've done over the past five years."

Gaara nodded and turned his back to her, "Go," he said quietly.

"Gaara," Naruko protested, reaching for his shoulder but his sand came up to stop her.

"You have a little brother out there…he needs you more than I do," he said quietly.

Naruko slowly nodded, tears brimming in her eyes, "Thank you, Gaara," she said quietly, climbing back out his window and disappearing in the dead of night. She had things to pack before going to the one place she swore never to go back to.

In the hidden village of the leafs, "What am I doing here, old man?" Naruto scowled as he strolled through the door, his hands tucked behind his head. He had been interrupted from his nightly ramen to come here.

"Naruto," Sarutobi said, surprising Naruto since he had a pleased look on his face, but also a completely serious one.

"What's going on old man?" Naruto was led over to the couch and sat down while Sarutobi sat beside him.

"Naruto, there is something that I've kept from you that I've decided it was finally time. Some new evidence has come to light that revealed something we didn't know twelve years ago."

"What?" Naruto narrowed his eyes in complete confusion.

Sarutobi decided it was finally time to stop the small talk, "You have family that is still alive,"

Naruto jumped so hard he ended up falling off the couch, gapping at him with a wide eyed stunned expression. "Wha…old man, you're lying!" Naruto protested, jumping to his feet. "If I had family, then they wouldn't…they would be here. I mean…wouldn't they? Did they just leave me?" Naruto looked like he was going to cry, even if he was a twelve year old boy who never showed his true emotions, always hiding behind a mask of happiness. It was one thing to be orphaned because his parents died but to know he had some unknown relative out there that didn't want him enough to just leave him here in a village that hated him for some unknown reason.

"No, Naruto, of course they didn't leave you here on purpose."

"Then what happened?" Naruto demanded, turning mad.

"Naruto, they thought you were dead." Hokage said and Naruto quieted. "I have a spy that discovered evidence that she was alive a few years ago. It took five years for him to track her down living in a village a few days from here. She'll be arriving soon, she's moving here so she can do what she promised to do twelve years ago."

"Promised?" Naruto asked quietly. Usually, he was so loud, but the life changing fact that he had family out there, family that was coming for him…that did something to someone.

Hokage nodded, watching the young boy closely, "She promised everyday while you're mother was pregnant with you that she would protect you with her life. She's lived twelve years with the guilt of thinking she's failed. She's coming back to fulfill the promise she made to herself. That was all she would talk about the entire time, how good she would be to you and how you would never be hurt because she'll be there to protect you, and help raise you, and guide you onto the path of a true shinobi, just like your parents."

"To…protect me?" Naruto whispered, fists clenching and unclenching. "Old man…who is she?"

Old man hokage sighed, "You're older sister,"

A few seconds of silence passed and Sarutobi was getting worried about the blonde haired blue eyed boy when he suddenly shouted, "I HAVE AN OLDER SISTER!" his yell echoed and Sarutobi jumped surprise. But he nodded and smiled at the look of hopefulness on his face.

"She's five years older than you. She went missing twelve years ago the day you were born and she was declared dead. But now we've found her alive a few villages over and now that she's aware you're alive, she's coming."

Naruto nodded, and looked like he was thinking hard on something. When he was about to say something, Naruto said something else. "Do…do you think she'll like me?" he seemed increasingly worried. It would be heartbreaking knowing you had blood out there that wanted nothing to do with you.

Sarutobi couldn't help but smile, "Yes, I think she'll like you." Naruto slowly nodded and started towards the door. "Where are you going, Naruto?"

"I have to find a…welcome home gift…right?" Naruto had no idea what to do, especially when he'd never had family before.

Sarutobi smiled, "You don't have to get her anything. But I'm sure she'll love whatever you give her."

Naruto slowly nodded, paced around a few times before leaving only to come back seconds later. "Old man, what's her name?!" Naruto exclaimed. He knew he was forgetting something.

"Naruko, her name is Naruko Uzumaki."

"Naruko…Naruko Uzumaki," he repeated. He quickly left the room with ideas of what to give her. He didn't know anything about his…his sister, what was she like? Was she a ninja? What she like him? Did she look like him? He hadn't a clue, he didn't even know how brothers and sisters were like to each other.

What did girls even like?

"You're not coming with me?" I said in disbelief. It had been a day since we've left the sand village. I had a single shoulder bag with like a million different seals inside. I had my entire life of stuff against my side.

"Course not kid, I still have research to do." Gramps exclaimed loudly. I sighed, what was up with the people in my family being so loud and overexcited. First mom, then gramps, I guess I was more like dad. Make me wonder briefly if Naruto was that way.

"Of course, research," I said sarcastically. Gramps research included his next book which would involve him having to go spy on scantily clad women for 'inspiration'.

"That's right, kid! Just keep on going straight and you'll reach the village. But here, you'll need this," Jiraya handed me a seal with the hokage sealing on it. I knew it would get me access into the village.

And then I was alone.

"Stupid old pervert," I scowled, starting my run to the village, jumping from branch to branch. With my father's speed in my blood, I was sure to there earlier than planned. A trail of yellow and red light from my hair and clothes trailed behind me in my haste.

I had a family to recollect with.

I had to stop and make camp for the night where I had dreams of a holding a little blonde haired baby in my arms.

The next morning, I arrived at the village. I hadn't realized I had only been an hour away from the village since it's been over twelve years since she'd seen those walls that stretched out in front of her.

I took a deep breath, feeling the sun heat my skin, the light wind brush my shoulder over my shoulder. I tugged on my hair, maybe it was time for me to go back to pigtails. Oh well, that was for another thought another time.

I headed into the village and to my future.


	3. Siblings Reunited

Siblings Reunited:

"Miss," one of the guards sitting at the desk just inside the gates. I glanced over, having just walked in. It had been like walking back into the past, as if nothing had changed. The big difference was it didn't seem as big considering I was taller, but still a huge village. It was more lively compared to sand, the weather not as hot as the dessert.

"Yes?" I said surprised. I had been distracted with my thoughts. Of all the things I could have done here with Naruto growing up that I couldn't do anymore. I hadn't seen him take his first steps, taken him on his first trip to the park, didn't even know if he could hold a kunai properly. I knew I could by the time I was twelve, heck, I could throw ten with both hands and still hit the target by the time I was twelve.

"Can we help you?" his partner asked.

I quickly strolled over, "Yes, I'm moving to the village for…personal reasons. The hokage is aware that I'm arriving but I think I'm early," I warned, showing them the slip of paper I had been given by Jiraya. I wasn't supposed to arrive until the next morning after all. Good thing I inherited dad's speed and worked at it to make me even faster, or else I'd still be running through the woods.

One of the men took it and nodded at the signature, "Alright, everything seems to be in order. If the hokage is expecting you then just head over there, I'm sure he can get you settled. Do you need an escort?"

I smirked, I knew the hokage tower like the back of my hand. I always practiced escaping mom to make my way to dad while he was working. "Don't worry, I think I know where I'm going."

"Well alright, just sign here so you're entrance into the village is recorded," the other guy said, holding up a clipboard already with a collection of names despite the early morning. I nodded and bent down to write my name.

I hesitated for a second, thinking briefly on which name was going to be. I shook my head and wrote down a name before quickly entering the crowd of the village. I briefly heard the guards talking.

"Uzumaki Naruko?"

"You don't think…?"

"No way, I think the letters are just mixed together. She can't have anything to do with that kid."

"Hmmm, but they did look somewhat alike."

I bit back a grin. That meant he probably still had bright sunny blonde hair and blue eyes…just like he'd had on the day he was born, cute little whisker marks on his cheeks. I knew the second I stepped foot into the hokage tower, that the Noora I had named myself was now dead.

It was time for Naruko Uzumaki to be reborn.

"Listen, I need to see the hokage." I told the lady at the counter.

"Do you have a meeting schedule." The lady asked, looking bored as she didn't glance up.

My eyebrows wrinkled together, "Uh, no…I don't think so. Nobody told me anything about that."

"Then you can't see the hokage." She looked up with a cruel smirk.

I rolled my eyes at her attitude. Dude, the woman was obvious civilian and since I didn't wear a headband, she clearly believed the same about me. I could throw her against the wall and kill her, while still making it look like an accident. Don't mess with me.

"Whatever, he knows I'm coming," I scowled, heading up the stairs.

"You can't do that!" she shouted after me, leaving her post to follow me up the stairs. I…may or may not have flashed her my middle finger behind my back.

"Gramps, I'm home!" I shouted, slamming the door open in my haste. Oops, I winched, already feeling I may had made a huge dent in the wall. My strength could be a little unsettling if I wasn't careful. I guess I was a child prodigy, I didn't know, I had never managed to measure my abilities of anyone in my age group.

Old man Hokage was like an unofficial grandfather to me. He used to let me play with his paints, despite the fact that I would always end up getting it all over me and the wall. Don't ask me about the few times I managed to get some on the ceiling, not even I knew exactly how I'd done that.

"Naru-Naruko!" Old man hokage jumped surprised. It wasn't surprising. I had gotten so use to walking on my toes that I was so quiet, you had to have the best hearing in the world to know I was there. And it was clearly no secret that the old man was getting older. He still looked the same as I last saw him, only with more wrinkles. But what can you expect after not seeing someone for twelve years?

"I'm so sorry sir, I wasn't able to stop her." the security lady looked nervous and panicky.

"It's fine, go back to your post." The hokage ordered. The lady bowed and quickly left, closing the door behind her. Third hokage stood up from his seat and walked around his desk. "Naru-Naruko, is that really you?"

I smirked, "Got any paints for me to play with, gramps." Very few people would remember I could destroy a room with a single jar of paint. The next second, I was pulled into a very and surprisingly tough hug. The next second, I felt all the pain I've had over the years and like a waterfall, I did the one thing I refused to do. I started to cry. Long streams of tears ran down my cheeks as I held tightly onto him, crying into his shoulder. It was like a dam to a waterfall broke open and all my sorrow came to me. Gramps soothed me, running his hand down my pigtail.

"It's alright, it's alright, you're home Naruko, you're home."

"I should have never left." I muttered, wiping at my tears, sitting down where he led me to the couch. "Naru…Naruto!" I exclaimed, remembering the reason I had returned as a fresh wave of tears came back. "I…I missed twelve years!" I wailed.

Hokage shushed me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "It's alright, Naruko. Naruto has been informed of the situation and I'm pretty sure he's excited at the prospect of finally having a family."

I whimpered and wiped my tears. I wasn't usually so emotional but I guess the last few days was finally having it's toil on me. "He is?"

Hokage nodded, "Last I saw him, he was going on about finding a welcome home gift. He was so panicked about finding something you would like."

I smiled, "He doesn't have to get me anything. As long as I know that he's safe, I would be happy."

"And I'm sure he will come to realize that." Old man hokage handed me the address of Naruto's apartment where I would be staying. I was told that apartment had a kitchen/living room together, a small bathroom, and two small bedrooms. Naruto used one but the other was practically empty, more storage like. That would be my room. Genin had went in and out all day getting it ready. Adding a bed, dresser, and desk; all that was left was to add my stuff which was in the bag I carried. "Would you like someone to show you the way?" Gramps asked.

I looked out his large window and into the village below before smiling and shaking my head, "I think I would like to see the village. I'm sure I'll be able to find it."

Naruto looked down at his clumsily wrapped present. The gift wrapping was all messed up because he had no idea how to do so. He'd worked nonstop for the last three days after the academy till late at night with a storeowner who didn't seem to hate him although didn't like him either. In exchange, he'd finally worked enough to get this gift he held. He wasn't even sure if she could use them. Well, he could always try teaching her but even he had trouble most times.

The sun was going down when he started heading home.

"Well, well, look at what we have here boys. A little fox wondering alone," Naruto froze as a group of about clearly drunk ten guys surrounded him. How did this always happen to him? He clutched onto the gift, he couldn't allow it to get ruined during the fight that would surely happen.

I cursed under my breath multiple times. I had been walking around at a complete lost. I had no idea where I was going. So many new shops had popped up, some I knew disappearing. I guess I really couldn't depend on a five year olds memory after being gone for twelve years. What was I thinking?

Ok, I've literally passed that ramen stand five times. I avoided it like the plague because mom used to take me there all the time. Although right now, it was very tempting to go grab a bowl because I was getting hungrier by the second.

Who knew how hard it would be to find one apartment building in all of the hidden leaf village. Apparently, much harder than you'd think.

"Excuse me, miss, do you need any help?" I jumped surprised. I wasn't usually snuck up on but I had been glaring daggers into the paper with my little nii-san's address on it, completely frustrated, that I hadn't even noticed. Especially considering the fact that the leaf village marketplace that I kept finding myself in the middle of was incredible more crowded then I was used to.

In one glance, I studied the man before me. He was barely a handful of years older than me, my own age being seventeen. He was about a foot taller than me but I wasn't surprised considering I was smaller than most girls my own age. I hadn't always been able to eat when I wanted to as a child, before I had gotten a steady job in the sand. He was a ninja, unless he was just wearing the leaf headband strapped around his forehead for a 'fashion statement'. He was lean but strong looking. He wore the standard ninja uniform; sandals, dark pants, dark shirt under a dark green chunin vest. His skin was a dark color, a few shades darker than my own, more of a man though, with a strong jawline. He had this scar across his nose that made me wonder how'd he'd gotten it, although scars weren't that uncommon for ninja. Hell, it was halfway expected. The only reason I didn't was because I had gotten good at medical jutsu's. His eyes were what caught my attention the most, eyes that reminded me of swirling chocolate. I liked chocolate. I liked even more, the kindness and sincerity shining through them. "Miss?"

I snapped out of my musing, "Oh yes actually. I've been trying to find this apartment building." I showed him the slip of paper I held.

Recognition flashed briefly on his face, "I know where that is." He told me where it was. Turns out, it was on the other side of the village in the opposite way I've been heading, close to the red light district of the village. Of course it would be.

"Of course it is, thank you for your help shinobi-san," I bowed my head, now low enough on the off chance that I would be attacked and not able to defend. More like a simple nod really.

"Hey, will I see you around?" he called after me as I passed.

I chanced a glance over my shoulder, "I'll be around, we may just meet again." I called, heading off. Brother's before guys, right, or something like that? Either way, finding my brother for the first time in twelve years was more important than staying to talk to a guy I would probably never see again.

Oh, how very wrong I was.

Iruka sighed, watching the blonde disappear into the crowd, heading where he had sent her. She was moving into Naruto's apartment building, he had been there a few times to retrieve the boy when he would try skipping class.

He had been getting the headbands together and carrying them to the school for the newly graduates when he first caught sight of her. She was different from other women in the village, her hair in unnatural golden shade of light blonde. The sun reflecting off it had grabbed his attention. At first, he considered she had been some kind of Yamanaka since they were the only people in the village with blonde hair.

But after seeing her pass by for the fifth time, her face scrunching up in frustration, annoyance, and anger clearly visible, he managed to catch sight of her eyes. They were bright blue. They looked somewhat familiar but he just couldn't figure out where he'd seen those exact eyes before…on someone else? Either way, he'd certainly never seen a Yamanka with those eyes.

He finally stopped her to find out what was going on.

And after the brief encounter…he knew he wanted to see her again.

And he knew where she was living.

"Little foxy, come on out to play!" a drunken slur taunted, dragging a kicking Naruto out from under the dumpster he'd tried to hide under, clutching the present to his chest, the wrapping tearing.

"This is for my brother you killed!" one of the men snarled, an angry drunk as he slammed his foot into Naruto's stomach. The blonde grunted but bit his lip to prevent screaming. He curled up in the corner of the alley, clutching the present to his stomach. Whatever he did, he couldn't allow it to get ruined or scraped up.

His sister deserved more than just a scratched up present that would look like he'd just found lying around despite the fact that he'd bought them new that day. Naruto often outran chunin and jounin after a prank but having civilians attack him…that just brought him back as a child before he started his pranks and outrunning. Each time, it made him feel like he was three again, unable to run away. Which was exactly how they'd managed to corner him.

Naruto tried getting as small as possible as they started shouting at him. They were clearly about to get physical very soon. "Hey, what's going on back here?!" a feminine voice shouted from the mouth of the alley. Naruto glanced up, his first sight being the thick blonde hair, hair eerily familiar…from a time nobody could remember but felt…safe, familiar.

I had almost been there, just on the inside of the red light district. Then I had heard shouting and yelling, I could easily tell they were drunk. That wasn't really surprising, it was the red light district for a reason, most people tended to avoid it, unless they lived here of course. The people were yelling the most obscene things, shouting about someone killing a brother, or they're father dying because of them. Something like that, I wasn't so sure through the whole drunken shouts.

I was about to leave so them and whoever would work it out on their own. I usually kept to myself anyway. But as I was passing, a glint of orange in the mess of men caused me to backtrack. In the center of the group was a small boy, looking scared. He couldn't be older than ten considering how small he was. His clothing was an orange jumpsuit which was what had grabbed my attention, it being so bright. The young boy was just a child, a child with spiky short blonde hair slightly darker than my own held back by an old pair of green goggles on his forehead. Closer observation saw he wore the Uzumaki crest on the shoulders of his jacket. It wasn't that surprising considering almost everyone in Konoha would wear it. They were it as a sign of friendship because the Uzumaki Family had helped the village at some point before I was born. His eyes were of the brightest blue, the exact shape of myself and my mothers, the exact shade of blue as myself and my fathers. Skin with whisker like marks on his cheeks.

And I knew, just knew, he deserved to wear the Uzumaki Clan Crest more than anyone in this village.

After all, he was one of the last two Uzumaki's left in the world.

"Hey, what's going on back here?!" I snarled, feeling anger coursing through my veins like nothing I've felt before, seeing the panicked look of my brother's eyes. He had to be malnourished or something considering I knew he had been perfectly healthy when he had been born.

"Just go back to where you came from, little girl." One of the men slurred.

"Or maybe you can stay and we can have some fun when we're done with the demon." Another man drunkenly smirked, a half bottle of sake loosely clutched in his head.

A flash of disgust appeared on my face. I may be awesome at hiding my ninja abilities but my emotions always came on my face. I blamed my mother, she was always overemotional, mostly overexcited but watch out when she got mad.

I…may or may not have inherited her legendary temper.

"This ain't none of ya business, sweetheart," one man that looked like he was having trouble standing stated.

"It is when it comes to him," I snarled, cracking my knuckles. I had some anger to work out, if only they weren't lowlife civilians that couldn't win against a new genin. Wait…did that guy just call _my _brother, a demon.

Oh yeah, some one was about to get hurt.

"This ain't none of ya business, sweetheart," one of the men trying to kill Naruto sneered to the blonde teen standing before this. Naruto winched, this girl was a lady, she shouldn't have to protect him. Not that he was sexist or anything, boy or girl, it didn't matter to him. But he wasn't so naïve that he didn't realize what most if not all of these guys were thinking when a teenage girl walked up to them. Especially one as pretty as this one.

She had dark skin but a lighter shade then his own. Her hair was in a ponytail but long enough to fall to her waist, made him wonder how long it would be without it being tied up, with bangs framing her face and forehead. Now that she was closer, he could just see bright blue eyes halfway hidden by the shadows as the sky was starting to darken. Was it really that late already? But…those eyes, he could swear that he had seen those eyes somewhere before.

It was amusing by the look of disgust she clearly had for the men. Now that he wondered…what was she doing coming in after him? Didn't she know who he was, just the kid no one other than Jiji and Iruka-sensei wanted anything to do with. "It is when it comes to him," the teen nodded at him, making him more confused than ever.

Yeah, he could be a little dimwitted because he didn't realize just who this girl was and how important he was to her.

Yet.

He knew that she had just made these guys mad. Didn't she know they could hurt her? One glance down her body revealed she wasn't wearing a headband of any kind on her. So that must have meant she wasn't a ninja. One civilian girl going against ten seriously drunk middle aged men was just suicidal.

Even as dimwitted as he could be at times, even he seemed to see the anger and furious that she emitted. It was a dangerous aura that sent a shiver of fear down his spine although she had just before looked like she couldn't hurt a fly. Either these guys were too drunk to realize it or they were just stupid.

Either way, he had a feeling something bigger than he thought was going to happen.

He clutched the torn wrapping present to tightly to his chest, refusing to let it go unless it was in the hands of his sister.

Or unknowingly, the teen…woman, in front of him.

The woman cracked her knuckles dangerously, the sound seemed to echo throughout the crowded alley.

"What do you think you're going to do?" one guy crackled with laughter, too drunk to realize what danger they were in. He took a large swallow out of his sake. The next second, not even having to make much of an effort, her fist found his face. It looked like it was nothing more than…a love tap. But that changed the next second.

Because the next second, he went flying twenty feet back, only stopping because he slammed into the brick wall next to the boy, next to Naruto who jumped surprised as the body slumped next to him. The guy was clearly unconscious now, the hit being far too much for a civilian yet along for an overdrunk civilian. The sake bottle still clutched in his hand was now broken at the bottom, he clearly had a broken nose dripping with blood. She had held back just enough so he wouldn't be killed by the attack.

She was wise enough to know that sometimes, life could be worse than death.

"Whoa!" Naruto gasped wide eyed. Ok, he took it back, this girl was clearly more than she looked like. With strength like that, she definitely had to be a ninja, although not one he'd never seen before, despite the somewhat familiarity that he couldn't shake. He somehow understood that he would be safe with this girl that he didn't even know.

"Hey, you can't do that, we have rights you know!" one of the man snarled, backing away slightly. She pinched the back necks of two other guys, causing them to fall over unconscious. She clearly hit some kind of pressure point.

"And what rights are those?" she snorted uncaringly. He'd never seen a girl snort before, heck, he'd never seen a girl who could fight like that. She easily felt to a crouch, putting her hands on the pavement to sweep the legs out of more guys that came after her. She stood and kept making her way towards the guy that was apparently their 'unofficial leader'.

"A ninja can't use their skills to attack civilians!" he protested, dropping his sake bottle. It shattered upon hitting the ground. She easily flipped the last two members over her shoulder one after the other, slamming them harder than necessary into the ground. They both groaned, a rib or two probably cracked from the echo of a crack sounded after the landing.

The woman laughed, the sound causing yet another shiver down his spine. The final man's knees started to shake in terror as she came closer. She suddenly slammed her fist, uncaring of the bruises that were starting to sprout upon her knuckles, into the wall beside his head. The man squeaked and whimpered in terror.

He wasn't so brave now that he wasn't trying to beat up an academy student with a group of guys behind him.

"I know the law more than you." She whispered deadly, but the small voice seemed to echo throughout the alley. "For one, I am no official ninja of any land. I'm just a wanderer who finally decided to settle in Konoha. Two, you are lucky that you are still alive. Besides, that law doesn't apply when civilians aim to kill a member of one's family. I could kill you and nobody could do a thing. As the eldest in my family, it's my duty to protect and you are disturbing that protection."

What was she going on about? Naruto thought. Family? He was the only one here and they certainly weren't fami…that thought stopped as he took in the tan skin and long locks of blond hair…why was something nagging at him. He knew there was something there but he just couldn't connect the dots.

It really pissed me off when someone decided to take matters into their own hands. I knew exactly why these people hated my brother and it made me even more furious. They were so arrogant and idiotic that they couldn't deal the difference between a prisoner and a container. It was just like a sealing scroll and a kunai, and since I did know some things about seals as it was my Uzumaki heritage and I felt it necessary to learn, I knew the difference. A sealing scroll would not cut you like a kunai just because it was inside. You had to with drawl the actual kunai for a weapon.

With a thought of horror, I realized that Naruto seemed to have been raised just like Gaara had. Being raised in such a way was horrible, something no child should ever have the chance to experience, to even know that such a thing could happen.

To think, a village with the 'will of fire' who prided themselves on their children and next generations would treat one of their own in such a horrible way. Naruto was the son of the fourth hokage, son of a strong kouinichi with a temper and hair caused her to have a nickname that could strike fear in the hearts of the enemy. If anything, Naruto would be respected, well liked, and worth even more to the village then even the Uchiha family who thought themselves as above everyone else. With the way they were treated, it wasn't surprising they're children had always seemed to grow arrogant before the massacre.

"Who-Who are you?" the man pinned against the wall croaked, sweating hard and eyes wide with terror. My hair almost seemed to life, looking vaguely like nine tails at an angle, but unknowingly looked much like my mother's own hair when her temper got the best of her, only a different color but that didn't make it any less horrible. Especially since my eyes were known to darken till they looked like the night sky during a hurricane.

Only those who know me knew that it always only happened when someone I care for was in danger. That someone had always been Gaara-nii since I never grew close to anyone else. Now, it extended onto Naruto.

I went cliché, "I'm you're worst nightmare," I grabbed him by his shirt collar in a death grip. "Naruko," I heaved him over my shoulder, throwing him from the alley and into a trash bin across the street, the top closing down on him from the force of where he'd landed. "Uzumaki!" I shouted.

Naruto blinked, wait…what?


End file.
